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Ultimatum
"Ultimatum" is the ninth episode of . It originally aired on December 4, 2004. It depicts the appearance of a rival superhero team, the Ultimen. The Justice League is unsure what to make of them, then has to intervene when the members become unstable and violent. Plot A Justice League team intervenes on an offshore oil rig, when sentient magma creatures arise from the sea and attack the workers. Aquaman, accompanying them, had warned that such would be the result of drilling too deep. However, the League are joined by another team of superheroes, the Ultimen. In short order, the day is saved, and the spokesman, Wind Dragon, gives a short speech. Aquaman is openly disgusted, and even Superman is a little fazed by the Ultimen's "goody-goody" attitude. The Ultimen differ from the Justice League in many ways; under the auspices of their sponsor, Maxwell Lord, they have a much higher public profile (and a much more commercial one) than the League; and for all their professed admiration of the League and commitment to justice, they seem to have little interest in joining forces with them. However, Wonder Woman takes a liking to one of them, Long Shadow, who frankly says his greatest wish is to join the League, but the others are holding back – Wind Dragon says they're not ready for the privilege yet. Things start to go awry when Wind Dragon, in the middle of stopping a heist, develops new and alarming powers, beyond merely creating tornados. Lord encourages the team to take a break for a while. But, eavesdropping on him and a mysterious woman, they learn that not everything is as it seems. Following Lord, they sneak into a secret laboratory and find clones of themselves in suspended animation. They are all horrified to learn the truth: they are artificial beings, cloned to serve as weapons for the U.S. government. Their memories of childhood were falsely implanted; and those persons who they thought were their family and friends were actors used to maintain the illusion. Moreover, they have heard Professor Hamilton telling the woman that their genetic structures are becoming unstable, and they all have less than a year to live. Wind Dragon's mind breaks, and he goes on a violent rampage. Juice, Shifter, and Downpour join him, but Long Shadow tries to stop them. The League is forced to intervene, and the Ultimen are subdued. Before they can act further, they are confronted by the woman and a squad of soldiers, along with Lord. Lord appeals to them, telling them that he is still their friend and wants to help them. Confused and scared, they decide to trust him, in spite of everything they've learned. Batman at first refuses to let them go, but the woman steps forward and challenges him, calling him "rich boy" in an undertone – indicating she knows his secret identity. Taken aback, Batman withdraws. However, Long Shadow refuses to go, and the woman reluctantly gives up. Wonder Woman welcomes Long Shadow into the Justice League, to be a true hero for as much time as he has left. Continuity * Giganta and Bizarro make a failed attempt to break Grodd out of prison, whose last appearances was in the episode, "Secret Society." It's unclear, however, if he has been incarcerated ever since. * The original Ultimen, including Long Shadow, do not appear again; subsequently, they appear only as semi-sentient clones. This indicates that the League was unable to save Long Shadow from dying prematurely. * Waller makes reference to "the Squad" which she threatens to send after the Ultimen, a possible reference to Task Force X, which will appear in the episode of the same name. Background Information Production Inconsistencies * The last time Bizarro was seen in episode "Little Big Head Man" he was returned to a distant, deserted planet, and left under the care of Mr. Mxyzptlk. No explanation for his return is given. Trivia * First appearances of Amanda Waller and the Ultimen. * In this episode, Giganta sports a yellow version of the outfit she wore in "Secret Society." In her subsequent appearances she goes back to her trademark pink dress. * The Ultimen bear strong resemblances to the original characters created for the SuperFriends series in the 1970s and 80s. stumble upon "Wonder Dog".]] * The League members appearing in this episode were the same four characters that comprised the original SuperFriends team: Batman, Superman, Aquaman and Wonder Woman. * The Lava Men are similar to the creatures from the SuperFriends episode of the same name. * The Ultimen's headquarters resembles the Hall of Justice, headquarters of the SuperFriends. * Dwayne McDuffie claims that "the beast that threw itself against the bars" is a nod to the Wonder Dog.http://jl.toonzone.net/episode34/episode34.htm * The extent of Aquaman's involvement with the League is uncertain; in , "The Terror Beyond" and the subsequent episode of , "Wake the Dead," it is arm's-length at best, but in this episode he is shown sitting at the main conference table with the other founding members, and referring to the League as "us." Cast Uncredited Appearances *Aztek *Atom Smasher *Booster Gold *Crimson Fox *Dove *Gypsy *Hawk *Ice *J'onn J'onzz *Nemesis *Obsidian *The Ray *Steel *Supergirl Quotes Ultimatum